Seduction and Surrender (The Billionaire's Temptation Series) (16 page)

“How about you help me dry off Thor instead? I think he might be one of the last ones.” Emma was already having visions of snuggling up to Quinn as they soaked in his massive tub.

Quinn took a look at the pup. “You know…I think he’s grown rather attached to you.”

And it seemed to be true. Thor was looking up at her expectantly, making her feel guilty that she couldn’t take him home. She reached over and gave him a good scratch. “I wish I could take you home, but my place is too tiny.”

“You forget, sweetheart. You’re now living with me. And I think another dog—especially one that’s already so dedicated to you—could be a good thing.” He picked up the towel and finished drying off Thor, the dog’s tail wagging like mad.

“Quinn…I’m only living with you temporarily. Remember? Until my apartment can be renovated.” The man was going to drive her insane. “As big as he is, he’d be miserable in my studio apartment.”

He gave her a cocky smile over his shoulder, which sent a rush of heat through her. “Firstly, those apartments won’t be studios by the time I’m done, and besides, if I get my way—and we both know I will—you’ll be living with me permanently.”

The man was infuriatingly stubborn. “You’re a pain in the ass, Quinn Ryker. You’re just lucky…”
I love you
.

Crap. She may have cut off the words before they made it out of her mouth, but the thought had been there and there was no turning back from it.

What the hell was she going to do?

Chapter Fourteen

“See? I told you they’d get along just fine.” Quinn had done his best to reassure Emma that his dogs and Thor would get along fine together. Once all the dogs had gotten all their sniffing out of the way, Thor was quickly taken into the pack, though he only strayed from Emma’s side long enough to get some food and water.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m wet, stinky, and starving.” She pulled her t-shirt away from her body to keep it from clinging to her, but all it took was to see that little bit of toned midriff and he could think of little else but getting her naked.

“Let’s take a quick shower, and order in some pizza. Maybe watch a movie? You know…normal living together stuff.” He just couldn’t help himself. But the more she heard it, the more she’d get used to the idea of living with him. There’d be no letting her go now. Not when he’d fallen for her. He couldn’t possibly go back to the sort of life he’d once been living.

The mere thought of her not in his arms, not in his life, left him feeling like a shard of glass had wedged its way into his heart so that even taking a breath seemed an impossible feat. And yet with her at his side, he felt newly reborn, like he could take on the world.

“Actually, that sounds perfect.” She ran her hand over Thor’s head with long, gentle strokes. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Watching her with her dog—and with his own—only made him like her all the more, if that were even possible. He didn’t often bring women to his home, usually opting for a hotel or his apartment in town, but every now and then, they’d swing by the house for one reason or another, and his dates almost always had the same reaction. Though they were always impressed by the house itself, most of them wanted nothing to do with the dogs. And spending the day volunteering to help wash over sixty dogs? Well, that would have
never
happened.

And it was something so simple, like watching her interact with his pets, in his home, that solidified what she meant to him. He could see a future with her—the sort of future that he’d never given any thought to: one with someone he loved at his side, starting a family, and growing old together. It surprised the hell out of him, but the truth was that he could no longer imagine his life without her in it.

Wanting her more than he could have ever thought possible, they quickly stripped off each other’s clothes and, after a quick adjustment to get the temperature right, he led her into the large walk-in shower, her body slipping against his as the water fell over them in a hot spray. He buried his hands in her hair, and pulled her face to his for a kiss he’d happily lose himself in for an eternity, nipping, kissing, his tongue finding hers as she reached down to stroke his cock.

He groaned into her mouth, her touch addictive and already so familiar. “Do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off you all day long? Nearly impossible.”

She nipped at his neck, his ear, her words coming out on a needy breath that left him dizzy with the want of her. “Does this mean you’re going to make up for lost time?”

“Such a naughty little nymph. Would you like that, kitten?” The fact that she was so willing to play these games—and get so much pleasure from them—turned him on to no end. She wasn’t just going through the motions to try to please him. She genuinely enjoyed it all.

“More than anything.” She continued to stroke him with one hand, her pace quickening as they discussed the matter, while her other hand reached down to heft his balls and stroke the delicate spot behind them.

“Fuck, Emma…that feels good.” Too good. And it left him tempted to prolong the experience by not letting either of them come until the end of the night. Grabbing her wrists, he ignored her protests, spinning her around and pressing her hands to the wall, kicking her legs apart so that she was forced to lean forward.

Fuck, the woman was gorgeous.
She had curves despite a slender waist, and a plump ass that made him want to sink his teeth in. With the water pouring over them, he ran a hand down her spine, loving how her body shimmied and arched in response.

Unable to resist, he sunk his cock into her tight, slippery pussy, hard and deep, before pulling out fully, and then did it again, eliciting curses and moans from that sweet mouth of hers. “Quinn…you’re killing me. Please, just fuck me.”

“Like this?” Again, he plunged in with one deep stroke, before pulling out, his need for her an almost painful ache. She ground and shifted her hips against him, searching him out, when he fisted her hair and pulled her head back, his mouth by her ear as he nuzzled her, his stubble rough against her delicate skin. “Touch yourself, sweetheart—but don’t you dare make yourself come.”

He lowered one of her hands between her legs and guided her fingers over her clit before letting her take over, her breath coming in ragged gasps. “I can’t do this and not come, Quinn. Not when you already have me so close.”

He buried his cock again—once, twice—before pulling out, her cries of frustration only adding to his need for her. “Don’t come, kitten—or there’ll be consequences.”

This time, he left the head of his cock lingering at her slick opening, but a firm hand on her hips kept her from taking him any further. Her fingers were still gliding over her clit, her breathing now coming in strained and ragged gasps. “Fuck, Quinn…I don’t think I can hold back.”

When he buried himself deep inside her, he felt her body tighten around him, crying out as she came. He had to smile. “Sweetness…you weren’t supposed to do that. But you like being naughty, don’t you? And it makes me wonder if you’ll like it just as much when I punish you.”

“Why the hell does it turn me on when you talk like that?” With him still inside her, she tried moving her hips along his length, and damn, but he couldn’t resist her any longer.

He pulled out of her and slapped her ass hard enough to leave a handprint against her porcelain skin, eliciting a surprised cry as she looked over her shoulder at him. She gave him a sultry smile filled with humor. “
Bastard
.”

He had to laugh. “Am I, now?”

She bit her lip, and arched her back, so her plump ass teased him enticingly. “Do it again, Quinn.
Please
…
?
”

He nearly groaned with his need for her, her words nearly doing him in. “Sweetheart, you’re just so fucking naughty.”

He ran his hand over one ass cheek and then the other, her skin warm where he’d already slapped her. Such a fine ass…and it was his. All his. He let his hand fall across the opposite cheek with a stinging slap, as she buried her head against the crook of her elbow with a wanton moan.

“
Quinn
…”

The need in her voice nearly had him coming undone. He slapped her ass once more and then plunged deep inside her with a hard thrust. She gasped and shivered in response, her hips shifting against his cock as he fisted her hair and pulled her head back, pinning her against the cold tile wall so she couldn’t move her hips. “Next time, you’ll do as you’re told, sweetheart, or the consequences will be far greater. Do you understand?”

“Fuck…” She closed her eyes, her breath coming in shallow gasps. “Why does that make me want to misbehave?”

Her admission had him going so hard, he was dizzy with his need for her. Never before had he felt this way. Never. “Sweet girl…you’re such a dirty little thing. I bet you never even knew you had it in you.”

“Please, Quinn…I need you to fuck me. I need you to make me come.” He could hear the tension in her voice, could feel her body squeezing around his cock, still desperate for more, despite having just come.

The aching pressure made it so he could think of nothing but taking her—and he did just that, pounding into her one hard thrust after another, taking her roughly against the shower wall, his body pressed against hers as he bit her neck.

Her body tightened once more as she cried out, coming again as he erupted inside her, his cock pulsing as he joined her with his own release, collapsing against her. Holding her to him, he tried to slow his breathing, suddenly feeling overwhelmed as his physical state ramped up his emotions. “Fuck, Emma…I’m in love with you.”

There was no point in skirting the truth. Not when he was in so deep, his feelings undeniable. He wanted her and all she had to offer, and he refused to back away from how he felt.

She spun around to face him, but what he hadn’t expected to see on her pretty face was a look of anger. “Damn it, Quinn… Why did you have to ruin an amazing night by screwing with my head? It’s cruel to say shit like that when I’m just some passing fancy because you’re bored with your usual fare.”

He should be pissed off that she’d think that of him, and yet given his past, he couldn’t blame her for being leery of him making those sorts of confessions.

“You know I wouldn’t lie to you, Emma—and certainly not about something so serious. When I say that I love you, I mean it.” He cupped her cheek and stole a kiss, while a smile tugged at his lips. “And it doesn’t matter if you’re not there yet, because I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you need, love.”

“You already know that I’ve fallen for you—hard. But I swear, if you break my heart, Quinn, I’ll fricassee your balls and serve them to you for dinner.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, Chef.”

She looked up at him with such a look of worry, but took a deep breath, as if deciding to trust him in this last way. “I do love you, Quinn.”

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, pulling her into his arms, and holding her close, his heart racing like a freight train. “I love you too, Emma. More than life itself.”

***

It had to be nearly three in the morning when Emma’s cell phone went off. She grabbed it and headed into the bathroom as Quinn fought through the sleep clouding his head, though it didn’t take long for her to return and start throwing on clothes. “What’s going on?”

“The alarm went off at the restaurant, so the security company called me. Probably nothing. It happens. Go back to bed.” When she leaned over and kissed him, he grabbed her hand.

“Give me a minute and I’ll come with you.” When he started to sit up, she pushed him back into bed.

“Stay…keep the bed warm for me. I swear I won’t be long.”

“Doesn’t matter, since I’m still coming with you. It’s late, it’s dark, and you don’t know if there’s something going on at the restaurant. I refuse to have you walk in on some robbery in progress and get yourself hurt.” Or worse. The thought of something happening to her was unbearable, kicking his adrenaline into overdrive.

It didn’t take long before he was driving them into town, but he was feeling distracted. He swore he’d do everything he could to make sure he kept her safe, especially after Capaldi’s threat. “Promise me you’ll stay away from Capaldi. And if he ever shows up, you’re to call me immediately.”

“What happened that night? Why were the two of you fighting? You never said.” She glanced over at him with her brow furrowed.

“He was talking shit, to try to piss me off, and he did just that. He got what he deserved. But that’ll be nothing compared to what’ll happen to him if he lays a single finger on you.” Capaldi’s words weaseled their way back into Quinn’s thoughts, taunting and teasing him. The thought of that slimy bastard touching Emma was enough to have him contemplating murder.

“Are you saying he threatened me? Because the guy who fixed the walk-in said the damage had been done on purpose. And there’ve been other incidents, though we half-thought they’d just been accidents or carelessness.”

“What sort of incidents? Were you hurt?” Quinn’s blood was boiling with rage. He wanted to tear Capaldi limb from limb. It was one thing for him to go after Quinn, but Emma was off-limits.

“No. Just stuff with the restaurant. I’d been putting it down to rotten luck until I was told that the fridge had been tampered with, and since Capaldi has made it clear from the start that he wasn’t happy I’d opened my restaurant so close to his…” She shrugged, looking worried. “What did he say?”

“He was rude and vulgar.” And now Quinn was wondering if this was far more serious than Capaldi just trying to get a rise from him.

“And you punched him for it? That was awfully chivalrous, Quinn.” She reached over and squeezed his hand with a worried smile.

“I protect what’s mine, Emma, and make no mistake, you
are
mine.” And if Capaldi already had her in his sights, then Quinn would just have to make sure Emma was protected—whether she knew it or not. “Don’t blow this off. If Capaldi’s behind these accidents, then this isn’t something to take lightly.” He brushed the hair from her eyes and leaned over to kiss her, keeping one eye on the road.